Colvin Run over private school?

[Anonymous]

If your kid could get in, assuming 130+ on the WISC-IV, would you keep them in private or send them to Colvin Run?
How large are the classes?
what's the general feeling of the teachers/students/parents? happy? engaged?

[Anonymous]

I absolutely love Colvin Run - my kid is in the AAP program and I feel it is challenging without too much hwk.

[Anonymous]

class sizes 25 plus - I believe 28 in dd class this year.

[tkattan]

Looking into renting a home in the Colvin Run ES school district, any tips on where/how to look. Thank you

[Anonymous]

I see 11 home listings in MRIS in Colvin Run's boundaries. Get an agent and go see them. Prices range from under $3000 to over $8000+/mo.

[Anonymous]

I would never choose Colvin Run over a good private school. After all, it's just the FCPS curriculum which has gone increasingly downhill over the years. I'd take an excellent private school that delves deeply into all subjects over a FCPS any day, but sadly do not have that choice.

And before anyone asks, yes, I do have one child in AAP and one in Gen Ed. The one in AAP isn't learning anything the Gen Ed child hasn't learned, but there sure is a lot more busy work and homework assigned. My friends with kids in private schools have learned so much more than either of my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would never choose Colvin Run over a good private school. After all, it's just the FCPS curriculum which has gone increasingly downhill over the years. I'd take an excellent private school that delves deeply into all subjects over a FCPS any day, but sadly do not have that choice.

And before anyone asks, yes, I do have one child in AAP and one in Gen Ed. The one in AAP isn't learning anything the Gen Ed child hasn't learned, but there sure is a lot more busy work and homework assigned. My friends with kids in private schools have learned so much more than either of my kids.

What's the matter? Not getting enough families to pony up the tuition for your private school next year?

[Anonymous]

Definitely Colvin run and save beaucoup $$

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would never choose Colvin Run over a good private school. After all, it's just the FCPS curriculum which has gone increasingly downhill over the years. I'd take an excellent private school that delves deeply into all subjects over a FCPS any day, but sadly do not have that choice.

And before anyone asks, yes, I do have one child in AAP and one in Gen Ed. The one in AAP isn't learning anything the Gen Ed child hasn't learned, but there sure is a lot more busy work and homework assigned. My friends with kids in private schools have learned so much more than either of my kids.

+1000
Agree completely. Anyone who ghinks thinks Colvin Run (or any FCPS school) is at all equivalent to private is delusional.

[Anonymous]

PP here - should have clarified. I was referring to FCPS elementary schools. Some of the high schools (notably Langley, McLean, Oakton, etc.) are excellent and probably comparable to a good private. But the elementaries are about as far as you can get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would never choose Colvin Run over a good private school. After all, it's just the FCPS curriculum which has gone increasingly downhill over the years. I'd take an excellent private school that delves deeply into all subjects over a FCPS any day, but sadly do not have that choice.

And before anyone asks, yes, I do have one child in AAP and one in Gen Ed. The one in AAP isn't learning anything the Gen Ed child hasn't learned, but there sure is a lot more busy work and homework assigned. My friends with kids in private schools have learned so much more than either of my kids.

What's the matter? Not getting enough families to pony up the tuition for your private school next year?

What a bizarre response.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here - should have clarified. I was referring to FCPS elementary schools. Some of the high schools (notably Langley, McLean, Oakton, etc.) are excellent and probably comparable to a good private. But the elementaries are about as far as you can get.

So yes, if you have the type of kid who needs special coddling, small classes and lots of handholding, don't send them to one of FCPS's scary elementary schools. Please pay big bucks to go private, so the resilient public kids won't get in the way of your fragile snowflake's advancement.

FCPS's public schools, while far from perfect, are among the best in the country. Short of having a kid with some very special needs, people in this area who spend a lot of time agonizing over public v. private, either enjoy wasting time, or prefer keeping their kids in a bubble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would never choose Colvin Run over a good private school. After all, it's just the FCPS curriculum which has gone increasingly downhill over the years. I'd take an excellent private school that delves deeply into all subjects over a FCPS any day, but sadly do not have that choice.

And before anyone asks, yes, I do have one child in AAP and one in Gen Ed. The one in AAP isn't learning anything the Gen Ed child hasn't learned, but there sure is a lot more busy work and homework assigned. My friends with kids in private schools have learned so much more than either of my kids.

+1000
Agree completely. Anyone who ghinks thinks Colvin Run (or any FCPS school) is at all equivalent to private is delusional.

As a parent that has kids in both private and FCPS AAP (not Colvin Run)...I would not say the choice is that clear cut. Private will have way less resources than any FCPS AAP school...Private will typically go deep into a subject but not cover the breadth that FCPS AAP covers. After spending $70K /yr for two private school educations...I will take FCPS AAP over private. However, if my DS's did not get into FCPS AAP...they would still be in private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would never choose Colvin Run over a good private school. After all, it's just the FCPS curriculum which has gone increasingly downhill over the years. I'd take an excellent private school that delves deeply into all subjects over a FCPS any day, but sadly do not have that choice.

And before anyone asks, yes, I do have one child in AAP and one in Gen Ed. The one in AAP isn't learning anything the Gen Ed child hasn't learned, but there sure is a lot more busy work and homework assigned. My friends with kids in private schools have learned so much more than either of my kids.

+1000
Agree completely. Anyone who ghinks thinks Colvin Run (or any FCPS school) is at all equivalent to private is delusional.

As a parent that had kids in both private and FCPS AAP (not Colvin Run)...I would not say the choice is that clear cut. Private will have way less resources than any FCPS AAP school...Private will typically go deep into a subject but not cover the breadth that FCPS AAP covers. After spending $70K /yr for two private school educations...I will take FCPS AAP over private. However, if my DS's did not get into FCPS AAP...they would still be in private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here - should have clarified. I was referring to FCPS elementary schools. Some of the high schools (notably Langley, McLean, Oakton, etc.) are excellent and probably comparable to a good private. But the elementaries are about as far as you can get.

So yes, if you have the type of kid who needs special coddling, small classes and lots of handholding, don't send them to one of FCPS's scary elementary schools. Please pay big bucks to go private, so the resilient public kids won't get in the way of your fragile snowflake's advancement.

FCPS's public schools, while far from perfect, are among the best in the country. Short of having a kid with some very special needs, people in this area who spend a lot of time agonizing over public v. private, either enjoy wasting time, or prefer keeping their kids in a bubble.

I'm the PP and have kids in public schools, not private. The reason I'm critical of FCPS elementary schools has nothing to do with my child needing "special coddling" and "lots of handholding," and everything to do with the incredibly weak curriculum. There's nothing "scary" about these schools, they just get away with teaching the barest minimum and never delving deeper or going further, in the way a private school can.

You've been drinking the FCPS Kool-Aid which would have us all believing these schools are actually "among the best in the country." Uh, no. Sorry.